Print

Nair, Vanitha G.

Psychology

2005

PhD

Twenty-five years after the first documented cases of rare forms of pneumonia and cancer were reported, between 800,000 and 900,000 individuals are now living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDCP], 2003). To date, there has been limited research on the relationships between HIV/AIDS disease stage, perceptions of stigma and behaviors that risk the transmission of HIV. This study, as part of the larger effort by Solomon, Miller and Forehand (2003) is the first attempt to investigate this issue with a Vermont sample. Participants in this study were 66 adults diagnosed with HIV / AIDS and living in Vermont. Participants completed self-report questionnaires about their current health status, three measures of perceptions of HIV stigma (Discrimination and Fear of Discovery Scale [DFDS]; Stigma Consciousness Scale [SCS]; HIV Stigma Scale [HIVSS], and HIV risk behaviors. T-tests indicated no significant difference between participants with HIV and those with AIDS on all three stigma measures: DFDS t (64) = .07, ns; HIVSS t (64) = .34, ns; SCS t (64) = 1.47, ns. Correlational analyses indicated negative associations between 4i_ease stage and stigma measures, with an association that approached significance between disease stage and the DFDS, rs = -.25, p = .06. That is, participants at later stages of disease were more likely to report fewer perceptions of HIV stigma. Additionally, participants at later disease stages were more likely to report increased condom use and decreased anal intercourse. A significant positive association was indicated between the DFD8, and condom use, rs = .39,p < .05. That is, participants who perceived greater discrimination and had significant fears of disclosure were more likely to report increased condom use. Item analyses for selected items on each stigma measure were conducted and results presented. There was some evidence that as disease stage progressed, individuals living with HIV / AIDS felt less fear of discovery and perceived less discrimination based on their health status.